William Pygot facts for kids

William Pygot was an English butcher who lived in the 1500s. He is remembered as a Protestant martyr. This means he died because of his religious beliefs. His story is written in a famous book called Foxe's Book of Martyrs. William Pygot was burned to death in Braintree, Essex, on March 28, 1555. This happened because he did not agree with a certain church teaching about the bread and wine used in religious services.

William Pygot's Story

According to a writer named John Foxe, William Pygot was questioned and sentenced to death. This happened on February 9, 1555. He was judged by the Bishop of London, Edmund Bonner. Other people were also sentenced with him, including Thomas Tomkins, William Hunter, Stephen Knight, and John Lawrence. The old records do not say much about whether William Pygot suffered in prison. He died on the same day as Stephen Knight, who was burned in a nearby town called Maldon.

Remembering William Pygot

In 1928, the Braintree Town Hall was opened. An artist named Maurice Greiffenhagen painted pictures on the walls inside. These paintings show the history of Braintree from Roman times up to the 1900s. One painting shows William Pygot just before he died. People believe the Town Hall is built where he was executed. This is because it is very close to the old market place.

In 2012, a group called the Braintree & Bocking Civic Society put up a special blue plaque. This plaque remembers William Pygot's death. You can find it on the wall of the library courtyard in Braintree.